Indo-European Lexicon
PIE Etymon and IE Reflexes
Below we display: a Proto-Indo-European (PIE) etymon adapted from Pokorny, with our own English gloss; our Semantic Field assignment(s) for the etymon, linked to information about the field(s); an optional Comment; and Reflexes (derived words) in various Indo-European languages, organized by family/group in west-to-east order where Germanic is split into West/North/East families and English, our language of primary emphasis, is artificially separated from West Germanic. IE Reflexes appear most often as single words with any optional letter(s) enclosed in parentheses; but alternative full spellings are separated by '/' and "principal parts" appear in a standard order (e.g. masculine, feminine, and neuter forms) separated by commas.
Reflexes are annotated with: Part-of-Speech and/or other Grammatical feature(s); a short Gloss which, especially for modern English reflexes, may be confined to the oldest sense; and some Source citation(s) with 'LRC' always understood as editor. Keys to PoS/Gram feature abbreviations and Source codes appear below the reflexes; at the end are links to the previous/next etyma [in Pokorny's alphabetic order] that have reflexes.
All reflex pages are currently under active construction; as time goes on, corrections may be made and/or more etyma & reflexes may be added.
Pokorny Etymon: 1. pel-, pelə-, plē- 'to pour, fill; full, plenary; town?'
Semantic Field(s): to Pour, Full, Town, City
Indo-European Reflexes:
| Family/Language | Reflex(es) | PoS/Gram. | Gloss | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic | ||||
| Old Irish: | (h)il | adj | many | RPN |
| lán | adj | full | RPN | |
| lín(a)id | vb | to fill | RPN | |
| Irish: | feal | adj | fell, bad, evil, naughty | ASD |
| Breton: | leun | adj | full | RPN |
| Cornish: | le(u)n, luen | adj | full | RPN |
| Welsh: | llawn | adj | full | RPN |
| English | ||||
| Old English: | æl-fæle, eal-felo | adj | dire, baleful, lit. all-fell | ASD/RPN |
| eal-fela | adj | very much, lit. all-much | LRC | |
| fæle, fel(o) | adj | fell, baleful, pernicious | ASD | |
| fe(a)la, fæla, feola | adv/adj.indec | very; much, many | ASD | |
| fīfealde | n | butterfly | LRC | |
| folc | n.neut | folk | LRC | |
| ful(l) | adj | full, filled | ASD/RPN | |
| fulla | n | fullness | RPN | |
| fyllan | vb.wk | to fill (up) | ASD/RPN | |
| psealm | n.masc | psalm | ASD/W7 | |
| Winter-fylleþ | prop.n | October, lit. winter-fills (month) | ASD | |
| Middle English: | accomplisshen | vb | to accomplish | W7 |
| complement | n | complement | W7 | |
| complet | adj | complete | W7 | |
| fel | adj | fell | W7 | |
| fillen | vb | to fill | W7 | |
| folk | n | folk | W7 | |
| full | adj | full | W7 | |
| implement | n | implement | W7 | |
| palpable | adj | palpable | W7 | |
| pavilon | n | pavilion | W7 | |
| plenitude | n | plenitude | W7 | |
| plente | n | plenty | W7 | |
| plural | n | plural | W7 | |
| policie | n | government, policy: sagacity | W7 | |
| politik | adj | politic | W7 | |
| poly- | pfx | poly- | W7 | |
| psalm | n | psalm | W7 | |
| psalterie | n | psaltery | W7 | |
| replenisshen | vb | to replenish | W7 | |
| replete | adj | replete | W7 | |
| supplien | vb | to supply | W7 | |
| surplus | n | surplus | W7 | |
| English: | accomplish | vb.trans | to perform, execute fully | AHD/W7 |
| acropolis | n | upper fortified part of ancient Greek city | AHD/W7 | |
| complement | n | something that completes/fills up/makes perfect | AHD/W7 | |
| complete | adj | entire, possessing all necessary parts | AHD/W7 | |
| compliment | n | expression of respect/esteem/affection/admiration | AHD/W7 | |
| comply | vb.intrans | to be ceremoniously courteous | AHD/W7 | |
| cosmopolis | n | cosmopolitan city | AHD/W7 | |
| cosmopolite | n | cosmopolitan person/organism | AHD/W7 | |
| deplete | vb.trans | to empty of principal substance | AHD/W7 | |
| expletive | adj | serving to fill up | AHD/W7 | |
| Felaróf | prop.n | Eorl's horse in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| fell | adj | cruel, fierce, savage, deadly | W7 | |
| felon | n | villain, criminal, evildoer | W7 | |
| fill | vb | to add/insert as much/many as is normal/possible | AHD/W7 | |
| Folca | prop.n | 13th Rohan king in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| Folcred | prop.n | Rohan prince in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| Folcwine | prop.n | 14th Rohan king in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| folk | n | people, kindred tribes forming nation | AHD/W7 | |
| folkmoot | n | general assembly of shire residents | AHD/W7 | |
| full | adj | containing as much/many as is normal/possible | AHD/W7 | |
| Herrenvolk | prop.n | master race | AHD/W7 | |
| implement | n | article serving to equip | AHD/W7 | |
| metropolis | n | mother city/state of colony | AHD/W7 | |
| necropolis | n | cemetery | AHD/W7 | |
| nonplus | n | state of confusion/perplexity/bewilderment | AHD | |
| nonplus | vb | to bewilder, be/put at loss | AHD | |
| palp | n | palpus: arthropod mouthpart | AHD/W7 | |
| palpable | adj | tangible, able to be felt/touched | AHD/W7 | |
| palpate | vb.trans | to examine by touch | AHD/W7 | |
| palpation | n | examination by touch | AHD/W7 | |
| palpebra | n | eyelid | AHD | |
| palpitate | vb.intrans | to throb, beat rapidly/strongly | AHD/W7 | |
| paludal | adj | marshy, re: fens/marshes | AHD/W7 | |
| papilionaceous | adj | resembling butterfly (esp. in shape) | AHD/W7 | |
| papillon | n | slender toy spaniel (dog) resembling chihuahua | AHD/W7 | |
| papillote | n | curlpaper | AHD/W7 | |
| pavilion | n | large sumptuous tent | AHD/W7 | |
| piu | adv | more | AHD/W7 | |
| plebe | n | common person; military academy freshman | AHD/W7 | |
| plebeian | n | Roman commoner | AHD/W7 | |
| plebiscite | n | direct vote where electorate may accept/refuse proposal | AHD | |
| plebs | n | populace, common people | AHD | |
| pleiotaxy | n | increase of number of whorls in inflorescence | AHD | |
| pleiotropism | n | control (by single gene) of multiple phenotypic effects | AHD | |
| Pleistocene | adj | re: geologic epoch early in Quaternary | LRC | |
| plenary | adj | full, complete | AHD/W7 | |
| plenipotentiary | n | person invested with power to transact business | AHD/W7 | |
| plenitude | n | fullness, completeness | AHD/W7 | |
| plenty | n | abundance, full supply | AHD/W7 | |
| plenum | n | space full of matter | AHD/W7 | |
| pleonasm | n | using more words than necessary | AHD/W7 | |
| plerocercoid | n | solid elongate infective tapeworm larva | AHD/W7 | |
| plethora | n | bodily condition re: excess blood | AHD/W7 | |
| plethysmograph | n | instrument measuring variation in body part size based on blood volume | AHD | |
| plural | adj | [grammatical form denoting] more than one/two | AHD/W7 | |
| plus | prep | increased by, with addition of | AHD/W7 | |
| police | n | government unit exercising power re: community morals/safety/prosperity | AHD/W7 | |
| police | n.obs | policy | AHD/W7 | |
| policlinic | n | dispensary/department of hospital treating outpatients | AHD/W7 | |
| policy | n | sagacity, wisdom/prudence in managing affairs | AHD/W7 | |
| policy | n | document wherein insurance contract is made | AHD/W7 | |
| polis | n | city-state in ancient Greece | AHD | |
| politic | adj | political | AHD/W7 | |
| political | adj | re: government | W7 | |
| polity | n | political organization | AHD/W7 | |
| poly- | pfx | multi-, much/many, several | AHD/W7 | |
| polydactyl | adj | having abnormally many digits | W9 | |
| polymer | n | chemical compound of repeating structural units | W7 | |
| polypnea | n | panting, rapid breathing | AHD | |
| polypod | adj | having many feet | AHD | |
| polytene | adj | re: large multistranded chromosomes with chromomeres in contact | AHD | |
| poori | n | light unleavened bread of India/Pakistan | AHD | |
| propolis | n | brownish resinous material from tree buds | AHD/W7 | |
| psalm | n | sacred song/poem used in praise/worship of deity | AHD/W7 | |
| psaltery | n | ancient stringed instrument resembling zither | AHD/W7 | |
| replenish | vb | to stock, fill with persons/animals | AHD/W7 | |
| replete | adj | fully/abundantly provided | AHD/W7 | |
| supplement | vb | to complete, add to | W7 | |
| suppletive | adj | supplying, suppletory, supplemental | AHD/CDC | |
| supply | vb | to add as supplement | AHD/W7 | |
| surplus | n | amount remaining when use/need is satisfied | AHD/W7 | |
| terreplein | n | level space behind parapet (to mount weapons) | AHD/W7 | |
| Winterfilth | prop.n | Shire calendar's October in Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings | LRC | |
| Scots English: | fell | adj | keen, hot, acute | ASD |
| West Germanic | ||||
| Old Frisian: | fal | adj | fell, violent | ASD |
| fel, ful | adj.indec | much, many; very | ASD | |
| fella, folla, fullia | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| folk | n.neut | folk | ASD | |
| ful, fol | adj | full | ASD | |
| Frisian: | fol | adj | full | ASD |
| folck | n | folk | ASD | |
| foll, full | adj.indec | much, many; very | ASD | |
| folljen | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| Dutch: | fel | adj | fell, violent | ASD |
| politie | n | police | TLL | |
| veel | adj.indec | much, many; very | ASD | |
| vleermuis | n | bat | TLL | |
| vol | adj | full | ASD | |
| volk | n.neut | folk | ASD | |
| vullen | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| Old Saxon: | filo, filu | adj.indec | much, many; very | ASD |
| fletharmūs | n | bat | KSW | |
| fol, ful | adj | full | ASD | |
| folc, folk | n.neut | folk, group | ASD | |
| fullian | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| Low German: | full, vull | adj | full | ASD |
| vullen | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| Old High German: | fīfaltra | n | butterfly | W7 |
| filo, filu | adj.indec | much, many; very | ASD | |
| fledarmūs | n | bat, moth | KNW | |
| folc(h), folk | n.neut | folk | ASD/W7 | |
| fol(l), full | adj | full | ASD/W7 | |
| fulljan | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| Middle High German: | vālant | n | devil | RPN |
| vil | adj.indec | much, many; very | ASD | |
| vol | adj | full | ASD | |
| volc | n.masc | folk | ASD | |
| vüllen | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| German: | Falter | n | moth, butterfly | LRC |
| Fledermaus | n | bat | TLL | |
| füllen | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| Herrenvolk | n | Herrenvolk, lit. lord folk | AHD/W7 | |
| Poliklinik | n.fem | policlinic | W7 | |
| Polizei | n | police | TLL | |
| viel | adj.indec | much, many; very | ASD | |
| Volk | n.neut | folk | ASD | |
| voll | adj | full | ASD | |
| North Germanic | ||||
| Old Norse: | fleiri | adj.comp | more, further; other | LRC |
| fólk | n.neut | folk, men, troop, host of warriors | LRC | |
| fullr | adj | full, in full swing | LRC | |
| Old Icelandic: | felms-fullr | adj | alarmed, frightened | RPN |
| felmtr | n | sudden fear, fright | RPN | |
| fīfrildi | n | butterfly | LRC | |
| fæla | vb | to scare, frighten | RPN | |
| fæling | adj | frightening | RPN | |
| Icelandic: | fjöl- | pfx | much | ASD |
| fōlk | n.neut | folk | ASD | |
| fullr | adj | full | ASD | |
| fylla | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| Danish: | folk | n.neut | folk | ASD |
| fuld | adj | full | ASD | |
| fylde | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| politi | n | police | TLL | |
| Swedish: | fjäril | n | butterfly | SAO |
| flädermus | n | bat | TLL | |
| folk | n.neut | folk | ASD | |
| full | adj | full | ASD | |
| fylla | vb | to fill | ASD | |
| polis | n | police | TLL | |
| East Germanic | ||||
| Gothic: | filu | adj | great, very much | RPN |
| filu | n.str.neut | much, many | LRC | |
| fulljan | vb | to fill, fulfill | RPN | |
| fullō | n | fullness | RPN | |
| fulls | adj | full | LRC | |
| us-filma | adj | frightened, astonished | RPN | |
| us-filmei | n | astonishment | RPN | |
| Italic | ||||
| Latin: | complementum | n.neut | complement | W7 |
| compleo, complēre | vb | to complete, fill up | W7 | |
| completus | vb.ptc | completed, filled up | W7 | |
| depleo, deplēre | vb | to fill | W7 | |
| depletus | vb.ptc | filled | W7 | |
| expleo, explēre | vb | to fill out | W7 | |
| expletus | vb.ptc | filled out | W7 | |
| impleo, implēre | vb | to fill up | W7 | |
| palpatus | vb.ptc | palpated, caressed | W7 | |
| palpitatus | vb.ptc | striken | W7 | |
| palpito, palpitāre | vb | to be agitated | W7 | |
| palpo, palpāre | vb | to stroke, caress | W7 | |
| palus, palūdis | n.fem | swamp, marsh | W7 | |
| pāpilio, pāpiliōnis | n.masc | butterfly | W7 | |
| plebeius | adj | re: plebe(s) | W7 | |
| plebs, plebis | n.fem | plebe, masses, common people | LRC | |
| plenitudo | n.fem | plenitude | W7 | |
| plēnus, plēna, plēnum | adj | plenary | RPN | |
| pleō, plēre | vb | to fill, fulfill | RPN | |
| plerusque, pleraeque, pleraque | adj | most, re: majority | LRC | |
| pluralis | adj | plural, diverse | W7 | |
| plurimum | adv | especially, very much | LRC | |
| plūs, pluris | adj.comp | more | LRC | |
| politicus | adj | political | W7 | |
| poly- | pfx | many | W7 | |
| psalterium | n.neut | psaltery | W7 | |
| repleo, replēre | vb | to fill up | W7 | |
| repletus | vb.ptc | filled up | W7 | |
| suppleo, supplēre | vb | to supplement, fill up | W7 | |
| Vulgar Latin: | accompleo, accomplēre | vb | to accomplish | W7 |
| Late Latin: | expletivus | adj | filling out | W7 |
| implementum | n.neut | action of filling up | W7 | |
| metropolis | n.fem | metropolis, mother-city | W7 | |
| necropolis | n.fem | necropolis, dead-city | W7 | |
| palpabilis | adj | palpable | W7 | |
| plēnārius | adj | entire, plenary | W7 | |
| plenipotens, plenipotentis | adj | plenipotentiary | W7 | |
| plenitas, plenitatis | n.fem | fullness | W7 | |
| pleonasmus | n.masc | pleonasm | W7 | |
| politia | n.fem | government, political organization | W7 | |
| psalmus | n.masc | psalm | W7 | |
| Medieval Latin: | plenipotentia | n.fem | investment with full power | W7 |
| plenipotentiarius | adj.n.masc | plenipotentiary | W7 | |
| plethora | n.fem | plethora, multitude | W7 | |
| superplus | n.masc | surplus | W7 | |
| terraplenum | n.neut | median, terreplein | W7 | |
| New Latin: | cosmopolis | n.fem | cosmopolitan city | W7 |
| palpus | n.masc | flattery | W7 | |
| plenum | n.neut | space full of matter | W7 | |
| Portuguese: | cheio | adj | full | TLL |
| Spanish: | cumplimiento | n.masc | compliment | W7 |
| cumplir | vb | to complete, perform what is due | W7 | |
| lleno | adj | plenary | TLL | |
| Old French: | acomplir | vb | to complete, accomplish | AHD |
| fel | adj | fell, wicked | ASD | |
| paveillon | n.masc | pavilion | W7 | |
| plein | adj | full | W7 | |
| plenté | n.fem | plenty, fullness | W7 | |
| replenir | vb | to replenish | W7 | |
| Middle French: | acomplir | vb | to accomplish | W7 |
| complet | adj | complete | W7 | |
| plénitude | n.fem | plenitude | W7 | |
| plurel | adj | plural, re: many | W7 | |
| police | n.fem | policy: document, certificate | W7 | |
| policie | n.fem | government, regulation, policy: sagacity | W7 | |
| politique | n.fem | politic | W7 | |
| psalterie | n.fem | psaltery | W7 | |
| replenir | vb | to refill, replenish | W7 | |
| replet | adj | replete | W7 | |
| soupleier | vb | to supplement, fill up | W7 | |
| surplus | n.masc | surplus, overflow | W7 | |
| terreplein | n.masc | median, terreplein | W7 | |
| French: | accomplir | vb | to complete, accomplish | AHD |
| clinique | n.fem | medical office | W7 | |
| compliment | n.masc | compliment | W7 | |
| papillon | n.masc | butterfly | W7 | |
| papillote | n.fem | papillote, candy in colorful twisted paper | W7 | |
| plèbe | n.fem | plebe | W7 | |
| plein | adj | plenary | TLL | |
| Old Italian: | polizza | n.fem | policy: document, certificate | W7 |
| terrapieno | n.masc | terreplein | W7 | |
| Italian: | complimento | n.masc | compliment | W7 |
| complire | vb | to comply | W7 | |
| fello | adj | fell, wicked | ASD | |
| pieno | adj | plenary | TLL | |
| più | adv | piu | W7 | |
| Baltic | ||||
| Lithuanian: | peteliške | n.fem | butterfly | W7 |
| pilìs | n.fem | castle | LRC | |
| pìlnas, pilnà | adj | plenary | RPN | |
| Latvian: | pils | n | castle | RPN |
| Slavic | ||||
| Old Church Slavonic: | plaxъ | n | dread, fear, fright | RPN |
| plašiti | vb | to scare, frighten | RPN | |
| plъnъ | adj | plenary | RPN | |
| Albanian | ||||
| Albanian: | plot | adv | quite, fully, completely | IEW |
| politik | adj | political | LRC | |
| Hellenic | ||||
| Homeric Greek: | πλέων | adj.comp | more | LRC |
| πλῆθος | n.neut | mass, multitude, quantity | LRC | |
| πλήθω | vb | to be/become full | RPN | |
| πτόλις | n | city, citadel | RPN | |
| Greek: | ἀκρόπολις | n.fem | acropolis, citadel on a hill | LRC |
| ἐμπίπλημι | vb | to fill | LRC | |
| kosmopolitēs | adj | cosmopolitan | W7 | |
| mētropolis | n.fem | metropolis, lit. mother-city | W7 | |
| nekropolis | n.fem | necropolis, lit. city of the dead | W7 | |
| πάλλω | vb | to sway, to shake, to swing | RPN | |
| πελεμίζω | vb | to shake, make tremble | RPN | |
| πίμπλημι | vb | to fill | LRC | |
| πλεῖστος | adj.sup | most | LRC | |
| pleiōn | adj.comp | more | W7 | |
| pleonazein | vb | to be excessive | W7 | |
| pleonasmos | n.masc | pleonasm | W7 | |
| πλέος | adj | full | RPN | |
| plēthōra | n.fem | fullness | W7 | |
| πλήρης | adj | full (of) | LRC | |
| πληρόω | vb | to fill | LRC | |
| πολεμέω | vb | to fight, be at war | LRC | |
| πολέμιος | adj/n.masc | hostile, inimical; enemy | LRC | |
| πο̑λεμος | n.masc | war | LRC | |
| πόλις | n.fem | polis, city, citadel | LRC | |
| politeia | n.fem | polity, government, constitution | W7 | |
| politeuein | vb | to be a citizen, engage in political activity | W7 | |
| politēs | n.masc | citizen | W7 | |
| πολιτική | n.fem | politics | LRC | |
| πολιτικῶς | adj/adv | political; like statesmen | LRC | |
| πολύς | adj | many | LRC | |
| συμπληρόω | vb | to fill up | LRC | |
| psallein | vb | to pluck, play stringed instrument | W7 | |
| psalmos | n.masc | hymn, twanging of a harp | W7 | |
| psaltērion | n.neut | psaltery | W7 | |
| Armenian | ||||
| Armenian: | li | adj | full | RPN |
| Indic | ||||
| Sanskrit: | palvala | n | pond | W7 |
| pí-parti | vb | to fill, sate, nourish | RPN | |
| purú-ḥ | adj | much, many, abundant | RPN | |
| pū́r | n | city; wall, fortress | RPN | |
| pūrṇá-ḥ | adj | full, filled | RPN | |
| pṛṇā́ti | vb | to fill | RPN | |
| prāṇa-ḥ | adj | full, filled | RPN | |
Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| adj | = | adjective |
| adv | = | adverb(ial) |
| comp | = | comparative |
| fem | = | feminine (gender) |
| indec | = | indeclinable/anomalous |
| intrans | = | intransitive |
| masc | = | masculine (gender) |
| n | = | noun |
| neut | = | neuter (gender) |
| obs | = | obsolete |
| pfx | = | prefix |
| prep | = | preposition |
| prop | = | proper |
| ptc | = | participle |
| str | = | strong (inflection) |
| sup | = | superlative |
| trans | = | transitive |
| vb | = | verb |
| wk | = | weak (inflection) |
Key to information Source codes (always with 'LRC' as editor):
| Code | Citation | |
|---|---|---|
| AHD | = | Calvert Watkins: The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd ed. (2000) |
| ASD | = | Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller: An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898) |
| CDC | = | W.D. Whitney and B.E. Smith: The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia (1889-1911) |
| IEW | = | Julius Pokorny: Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (1959) |
| KNW | = | Gerhard Köbler: Altnordisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed. (2003) |
| KSW | = | Gerhard Köbler: Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed. (2000) |
| LRC | = | Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| RPN | = | Allan R. Bomhard: Reconstructing Proto-Nostratic (2002) |
| SAO | = | Swedish Academy: Svenska Akademiens Ordbok (2011) |
| TLL | = | Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944) |
| W7 | = | Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963) |
| W9 | = | Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (1983) |